Operation of combustion motors by hydrazine



1953 L. MlKULAEK ET AL OPERATION OF COMBUSTION MOTORS BY HYDRAZINE Filed Feb. 2, 1948 flixin valve.

.lyqdrazine.

Air-

Compressor.

VII;VI!lrlllrlllllll/llll/IIIIIIAY U801? M/HULA 55 M/LAN SZ'RNAD INVENTORS Patented Aug. 11, 1953 OPERATION OF COMBUSTION MOTORS BY HYDRAZINE Libor Mikulasek and Milan Strnad, Brunn, Czechoslovakia Application February 2, 1948, Serial No. 5,897 In Czechoslovakia February 19, 1946 '7 Claims.

The object of our invention is a new method of operation of a combustion motor which may be a piston motor, a gas turbine or a reaction motor such as used. in rocket propulsion. The invention consists in using, for the operation of the motor, hydrazine (N2I'I4) or hydrazine mixed with Or combined with a further substance or substances eventually in mixture or solutions with any solvent.

For illustration of the invention a drawing is annexed which diagrammatically shows in Fig. 1 a general assembly of a six-cycles unit,

Figure 2 a top view of a cylinder thereof, and

Fig. 3 the general arrangement of a four-cycles unit.

The operation of the motor is realized by that hydrazine or another of its above mentioned modifications in either gaseous, liquid or solid phase is, by means of an electric discharge, decomposed into hydrogen, nitrogen and ammonia under release of a considerable amount of heat. The products of this decomposition are then mixed with air or any bearer of oxygen and form an explosive mixture which when ignited ag i produces pressure and releases heat which in any way is transformed into mechanical energy. For the propulsion of the motor the two explosions may be used simultaneously or in sequence.

The mixing with oxygen or air takes place at any mixing ratio within the limits of inflammability and at any moment. Likewise the previous compression of the fuel or mixture may be used for the explosion or the substance or mixture may be brought to explosion without compression.

The advantage of the invented method of motor operation is that the fuel used has a higher caloric effect than the motor fuels known up to now. For the rocket propulsion the advantage is that the first stage of the explosion requires no oxygen which, with rockets, has to be forwarded inside of the rocket in any form.

In carrying into effect our invention for instance the following procedure is adopted: Anhydrous hydrazine kept in a container preventing the contact with the atmosphere is brought into the working space after previous vaporization on heated surfaces and is induced to decompose by electric spark. In the resulting exothermic reaction hydrogen, nitrogen and a minimum portion of ammonia is released under simultaneous development of heat.

The decomposition products are mixed with air in a ratio lying within the inflammability limits of the mixture, for instance 22 Volume units o a Der 100 volume units of gases, and the m ture is brought to explosion by electric discharge while heat is released again. This explosion may be realized in the same space in which decomposition was effected or in another space into which the products were transferred and compressed. The resulting products of this second reaction which is a normal combustion are the usual products such as water vapour and nitrogen.

A special advantage of the operation according to the invention is that a piston motor may work on two, four or six strokes, depending on whether both the first and the second stage of the explosion are realized in the same combustion space or whether the decomposition products are transferred into a second cylinder whereby a compound form of motor is obtained.

Having now explained the principles of our invention, we now refer specifically to the drawmg:

In Fig. i a hydrazine tank controlled by valve 2 supplies evaporator 3 with fuel, which evaporator 3 is preferably heated by electrical means. The hydrazine, now in a vapor state, enters a cylinder i b means of an intake or suction valve Hi. When the piston of said cylinder is going down for the first time within one cycle, then compression will occur as soon as said piston 2! is returning to its starting position. Immediately prior to a second downward stroke of the piston, spark plug i l decomposes by ignition the now-compressed hydrazine into its components, thus causing a first power stroke.

After completion of said power stroke said piston 2i starts its return, thus initiating another, i. e. second, compression, which is increased by injection of high-pressure air or the equivalent from compressor i through piping 8 via air valve i2. Intake and discharge valves of the cylinder remain closed. Piston 2! is now back at its starting position for the second time, whereupon a second ignition by spark plug It causes the mixture to explode, and a second power stroke is efiected. The return of said piston to its starting position as the sixth phase of the cycle is completed with the discharge valve opened so that the combustion gases leave the cylinder by discharge valves it. Thus the engine, completing a cycle of six phases, has performed two power strokes from a single load of fuel.

in this way all phases of internal combustion in a power motor take place in one and. the same cylinder so that all of the four cylinders shown in Fig. 1 are working in the same Way.

In Fig. 2 same parts have same referrals.

Figure 3, showing an engine in which the two power strokes are assigned to two separate cylinders, each of them experiencing but one power stroke, represents a typical four-cycle or fourstroke internal combustion engine.

As per Fig. 3, evaporated hydrazine enters a first cylinder of a unit by means of intake I5, l6 as a result of suction; after compression of same a cracking, preferably by spark plug :1, will initiate a power stroke as a third phase of the cycle. Discharge valve iSa, then opening, will permit transfer of said still-combustible gases to a second cylinder while combustion air or the equivalent is added thereto by mixing valve 19, preferably prior to the entrance of the gases into said second cylinder, where complete utilization of the hydrazine is obtained by means of another ignition by spark plug ii and another power stroke.

In Fig. 3, 25 defines the final outlet of the combustion gases from the unit; i to is the intake of the second cylinder.

With reaction motors and rocket propulsion or similar engines a suitable construction eliminates the need for a compressor, as the decomposition in the first stage requires no compression.

The word oxidizer wherever occurring shall include all mixtures containing oxygen such as the ambient air as well as any matter carrying oxygen or being able to yield it to the surrounding medium.

What we claim is:

1. A method of operating a power engine by means of hydrazine comprising the steps: taking combustible matter substantially containing hydrazine to a closed chamber in connection with said engine, cracking said combustible matter into mainly its constituents by ignition, such as to impart an impulsion of kinetic energy to suitable parts of said engine, then adding oxidizer, and burning said mixture of said constituents and oxidizer within a closed space in connection with said engine, such as to impart another impulsion of kinetic energy t suitable parts of said engine.

2. A method of operating a power engine by means of hydrazine comprising the steps: taking combustible matter substantially consisting of hydrazine in gaseous condition to a closed chamber in connection with said engine, increasing pressure of said combustible matter, cracking it, by means of ignition into mainly its constituents, thereby imparting an impulsion of kinetic energy to driving parts of said engine, then mixing said constituents with oxidizing means, and burning said mixture within a closed space in connection with said engine such as to obtain another impulsion of energy to driving parts of said engine.

3. A method of operating power engines by means of hydrazine comprising the steps: taking combustible matter substantially consisting of hydrazine in gaseous condition to a closed chamber in connection with said engine, increasing pressure of said combustible matter, cracking it by ignition, into mainly its constituents, thereby imparting an impulsion of kinetic energy to driving parts of said engine, mixing oxidizer to said constituents, increasing pressure on said mixture, and burning it within a closed space by means of ignition, said space being in connection with said engine such as to obtain another impulsion of energy to driving parts of said power unit.

4. A method of operating power engines by means of hydrazine comprising the steps; taking combustible matter substantially consisting of hydrazine in gaseous condition to a closed chamber in connection with said engine, cracking it by means of ignition into mainly its constituents thereby imparting an impulsion of kinetic energy to parts adapted to actuate said engine, mixing oxidizer to said constituents, increasing pressure on said mixture, and burning it within a closed space being in connection with said engine, such as to obtain another impulsion of energy to be imparted to driving parts of said power unit.

5. A method of operating power engines by means of hydrazine comprising the steps: taking combustible matter substantially containing hydrazine (NzHi) in gaseous condition to a closed chamber in connection with one of said engines, decomposing said combustible matter by means of ignition, introducing oxidizer to said chamber, and burning the mixture of said constituents and said oxidizer such as to impart two impulsions of energy, originating from a single primary intake of combustible matter to parts of said engine which are adapted to usefully apply said energy received.

6. A method of exacting motoring power out of combustible matter which substantially contains hydrazine comprising the steps: cracking combustible matter as aforesaid within a cylinder of a reciprocating internal combustion machine thereby obtaining a first power stroke, adding air or equivalent matter as an oxidizer to said cracked products, blasting said mixture by means of ignition, also within said engine, thus obtaining another power stroke within one cycle of phases in the operation of said engine, or unit respectively.

7. A method of using hydrazine as a fuel in four-stroke internal combustion engines comprising the steps: taking combustible matter, sub stantially comprising hydrazine of gaseous condition into a cylinder of a machine of the kind aforesaid, splitting it up there by means of ignition into mainly its components, and carrying said. components while admixing air and/or other oxidizers to another cylinder space, to be blasted there.

LIBOR MIKULASEK. MILAN STRNAD.

References Cited in the file of this patent FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 857,780 France Apr. 26, 1940 863,928 France Jan. 6, 1941 

